2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

I OWN A 2001 DODGE INTREPID SE WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE AND 88,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT SUDDENLY STARTED SOUNDING LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE. THE SHOP CALLED ME LATER THAT MORNING TO INFORM ME THAT ENGINE HAD SLUDGE IN IT, AND THE SOUND I WAS HEARING WAS DAMAGE TO THE TIMING CHAIN , AND THE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY BLOW. THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO IS REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF OVER $6200.00. AT 42,000 MILES I TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE BECAUSE HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT BUT WOULD BLOW HOT AIR WHEN I WAS DRIVING. THEY SAID THAT I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND REPLACED IT BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. NOW THIS HAPPENS. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND STRONGLY VOICED MY DISPLEASURE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT. THEY TOOK MY INFORMATION AND PROVIDED ME WITH A CASE NUMBER AND SAID THAT I CAN BRING IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO INSPECT. IF THEY DETERMINE THAT THIS WAS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT THEN THEY "MIGHT" PARTICIPATE IN THE COST OF REPAIR. I WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ALL OF MY RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES (WHICH I ONLY HAVE THE LAST ONE FROM 3 WEEKS AGO). ALSO, I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THEM TAKING THE ENGINE APART ($700.00). ONLY AFTER THEY TAKE IT APART AND HAVE AN INSPECTOR LOOK AT IT WILL THEY DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE COSTS. I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEB SITE FROM SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE IT APPEARS THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. MY QUESTION HAD TO DO IF I HAD ANY RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER? *AK

ENGINE FAILED WHILE TRAVELING ON FREEWAY WITH NO WARNING. APPARENTLY SAME PROBLEM AS OTHER 2001 DODGE INTREPIDS - OIL SLUDGE CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO POOR DESIGN. CURRENTLY WITH DEALER IN HOPES OF REPAIR. STILL OWE $4,400 DOLLARS ON WORTHLESS CAR AS ENGINE IS GONE. *JB

DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID JUST QUIT MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND THE TIMING COMPONENTS WERE BAD. APROX REPAIR COST 2000.00. *JB

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE LOCAL MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE ENGINE WAS FILLED WITH SLUDGE AND THE PISTONS WERE WELDED TOGETHER IN THE HEAD GASKET. THE LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH 1 QUART OF OIL WAS ADDED THE WEEK BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL MECHANIC RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE. *JB

201 DODGE INTREPID: INNER TIE RODS WORN AT APPROX. 70,000 MILES. ALONG WITH RACK AND PINION LEAKING FLUID. CAUSED SEVER PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND CAR CONTROL. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY SAID I SHOULD NOT BEING DRIVING CAR BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL STEERING CONTROL LOSS. SET APPOINTMENT TO HAVE INNER TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED AND RACK AND PINION AND WOULD NOTIFIED THAT IT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEEKS. 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORD: SAME EXACT PROBLEM EXCEPT THAT ONLY COMPLETE STEERING BOX RATHER THAN RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED WITH REPLACEMENT OF INNER TIE ROD ENDS. ALSO, BOTH DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKES PREMATURELY WORE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PASSENGER SIDE WAS FINE. *NM

I WAS DRIVING MY 2201 DODGE INTREPID AND THE ENGINE FAILED. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WON'T COVER THE DAMAGE AND THE DEALERSHIP IS ASKING FOR $4,084.00 TO PUT A RE-BUILT ENGINE IN IT. MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON IT. I ALSO PRODUCED RECEIPTS/PRINTOUTS FOR MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES) PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE CAR STOPPING, THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY TYPE ~ NO OIL OR ENGINE LIGHT TO WARN OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *JB

8/13/02-WE TOOK OUR 2001 DODGE INTREPID 2.7L IN TO THE DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THE HEADLAMPS WERE CHANGE BECAUSE OF FOGGING LENS COVERS. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS WHINING SO THAT WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD 31,207 MILES. 1/14/03-WITH 36,354 MILES ON IT WE HAD THE REAR GLASS REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEFROSTER WAS NOT WORKING. NO COST FOR THIS. ALSO HAD THEM CHECK A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END BUT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. 12/16/03-47,658 MILES. ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR A PROBLEM IN THE EVAP SYSTEM. DEALER FIXED IT FOR $248.69. WE HAD THEM CHECK FOR THE FRONT END KNOCK BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER LOOKED AT. I DID NOT ASK THEM TO CHECK THAT AT ALL SINCE EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE AT THE TIME. LOOKING BACK I CAN SEE THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO PREVENT SOMETHING THEY KNEW WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE! 06/07/04-54,932 MILES. THE A/C STOPPED WORKING. HAD THE DEALER DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FOR $70.51. THEY SAID THE CONDENSER WAS LEAKING. I REPAIRED IT MYSELF FOR ABOUT $200.00. 01/05/06-74,600 MILES. VEHICLE STARTED KNOCKING LOUDER AND LOUDER WHILE DRIVING ONE DAY SO I DECIDED TO DRIVE MY OTHER CAR. THE NEXT DAY I TRIED TO START THE INTREPID BUT IT WOULD NOT FIRE. A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM. FIX WOULD COST AROUND $1,500. OIL CHANGES WERE MADE EVERY 3000-5000 MILES AND SLUDGED WITH A OIL FLUSH BECAUSE OIL WOULD EVAPORATE. *JB

DT: WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. WHILE STALLING THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID ENGINE FAILED WHILE TRYING TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD LEAVING MY MOTHER HALF IN AND HALF OUT OF TRAFFIC. THE MECHANIC STATES THERE IS NO OIL WITHIN THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, WE JUST HAD A COMPLETE OIL CHANGE IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. THERE IS HAS BEEN NO SIGN OF LEAKING AND NO OIL LIGHT INDICATOR UNTIL IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LOCKING. AFTER READING EVERYTHING ON THE WEBSITE I AM APPALLED THAT DODGE CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS. AS CONSUMERS WE HAVE TO JOIN TOGETHER AND FORCE THEM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THE AVERAGE CONSUMER CANNOT AFFORD TO THROW HARD EARNED MONEY OUT OF THE WINDOW. WE PLAN TO JUNK THE CAR AND NOT RISK FURTHER LOSS AFTER READING THESE HORROR STORIES. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM DODGE OR CHRYSLER. I SPOKE WITH AN ONLINE ENGINE REBUILDER WHO CALLED THIS THE "ENGINE OF THE YEAR". THEY ARE SELLING SO MANY THERE IS A BACKLOG. DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE AT: HTTP://WWW.DATATOWN.COM/CHRYSLER/. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS CLOUDY. HE FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS TO A DEALERSHIP WERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK